This invention relates to a hinge bracket and mounting plate assembly, in which the mounting plate has guides, in which the hinge bracket is slidable in its longitudinal direction for a depth adjustment and in which the hinge bracket and the mounting plate are interconnected by a fixing screw, which is screwed into the mounting plate and extends through a slot formed in the hinge bracket, an adjusting screw is screwed in a tapped bore of the hinge bracket and is backed by the mounting plate, and the mounting plate has fixing holes, which preferably consist of slots, which extend transversely to the hinge bracket so as to permit a vertical adjustment.
The mounting plate is usually screwed to a carrying wall of a piece of furniture or the like at predetermined locations so that the hinge bracket, which is connected to a door or hinged cover by a hinge, is adapted to be secured to the mounting plate by means of the fixing screw. Owing the slots provided in the mounting plate and in the hinge bracket, the latter is adapted to be adjusted in a vertical direction for an adjustment in height and in a horizontal direction for a depth adjustment. The clearance left between the door or the like and the carrying wall can be adjusted by the adjusting screw.
The means for securing the hinge bracket will be subjected to certain normal stresses during the closing and opening of the door or the like. Additional loads may be imposed on the hinge bracket when the door is opened beyond a predetermined limit or relatively heavy clothes or the like are suspended from the open door. Such loads may cause the hinge bracket to perform a sliding movement relative to the mounting plate and the mounting plate to become loose so that the joint between the hinge bracket and the mounting plate is slackened and a smooth opening and closing of the door may no longer be possible.
From German Patent Publication 14 59 059 it is known that unintended longitudinal displacements of the hinge bracket relative to its mounting plate can be prevented in that the mounting plate is formed with transversely extending grooves, which receive ribs protruding from the hinge bracket so that the two parts will interengage when they are connected by a screw.
From German Patent Publication 21 30 779 it is known to provide the edges of the slot formed in the hinge bracket with closely spaced, overlapping circular grooves and to provide the head of the fixing screw at its lower edge with a protruding circular ridge, which is adapted to enter one of said grooves. Such positive joints provided by grooves and by ribs or ridges which enter said grooves add substantially to the manufacturing costs and permit an adjustment only in steps which are determined by the spacing of the grooves whereas an infinite adjustment is not possible.
In a known hinge bracket and mounting plate assembly of the kind described first hereinbefore, the edges of the slot of the hinge bracket rise in wedge shape toward that end of the hinge bracket which is opposite to the hinge. Whereas such hinge bracket will be additionally forced against the mounting plate by a tensile force acting on the hinge bracket in the direction toward its hinge-carrying end, the hinge bracket will become loose immediately under the action of a force acting in the opposite direction. Such oppositely directed force may occur when pressure is applied to the open door. It is apparent that in the use of that known hinge assembly the advantage afforded by the additional initial stress due to the wedge action under a force acting in one direction will be offset by the fact that the joint is much more susceptible to slackening under an oppositely directed load.
For this reason it is an object of the invention to provide a hinge bracket and mounting plate assembly in which said parts are infinitely adjustable relative to each other and can be connected to each other by a screw in such a manner that the joint will be strengthened by forces acting on the hinge bracket in the direction toward its end carrying the hinge whereas a quick loosening under the action of forces exerted in the opposite direction need not be feared.